Investment Week (September 6)
Japan was “historically seen as a ‘value trap’” where “the interests of minority shareholders were ‘subordinate to those of other stakeholders’” as summed up by one portfolio manager. But things have changed. “After a decade of reforms, ‘Abenomics’ and a push towards fairer corporate governance, investors have started to feel the Japanese market is turning a corner.”
Tags: Abenomics, Corporate governance, Interests, Investors, Japan, Market, Minority shareholders, Portfolio manager, Reforms, Stakeholders, Subordinate, Value trap
Institutional Investor (August 12)
“Institutional investors have long called for better transparency and disclosure regarding fees, expenses, pass-through costs, and conflicts of interest,” but the SEC’s private fund adviser rules “were struck down in June after being challenged in court by a number of industry organizations largely representing managers.” The “regulatory saga” seemed to pit “investors and managers against one another…. But this picture is too simple, ignoring the industry’s own track record of collaboration to improve practices and address many of these challenges.” Going forward, “stakeholders must pick up where regulators left off.”
Tags: Collaboration, Conflicts of interest, Costs, Court, Disclosure, Expenses, Fees, Institutional investors, Managers, Regulators, SEC, Stakeholders, Transparency
Forbes (October 2)
“For many years, marketing, corporate communications and investor relations have been loosely connected by a dotted line in many organizations. Today, however, as organizations undergo digital transformation, rethink traditional approaches to communication and strive to underpin all business strategy with a sense of purpose, I believe it’s more essential than ever that these divisions be fully integrated in order to achieve the kind of consistency and efficiency in messaging that key stakeholders expect.”
Tags: Business strategy, Corporate communications, Digital transformation, Integrated, Investor relations, Marketing, Purpose, Stakeholders
New York Times (August 20)
“Nearly 200 chief executives, including the leaders of Apple, Pepsi and Walmart, tried on Monday to redefine the role of business in society—and how companies are perceived by an increasingly skeptical public.” The new inclusiveness of multiple stakeholders sounds appealing. Still, “for companies to truly make good on their lofty promises, they will need Wall Street to embrace their idealism, too. Until investors start measuring companies by their social impact instead of their quarterly returns, systemic change may prove elusive.”
Tags: Apple, CEOs, Idealism, Inclusiveness, Investors, Pepsi, Redefine, Role of business, Skeptical, Society, Stakeholders, Wall Street, Walmart
Fortune (August 19)
“Given the immense power large companies exercise in society, the new social consciousness of business surely should be seen as a step in the right direction. At a time when the nation’s political leadership is tied in knots…business leadership is filling the leadership vacuum.” The Business Roundtable, which always prioritized shareholders, “has redefined its mission” to include all stakeholders. In fact, shareholders aren’t even mentioned until word 250 of the 300-word Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation.
Tags: Business, Business Roundtable, Corporations, Leadership, Mission, Power, Shareholders, Social consciousness, Stakeholders
Institutional Investor (June 14)
“Companies and their stake holders are increasingly anxious to add more women to their boards, a process that can be fraught with controversy…. But for all the hand-wringing,” a recent study from the Wharton School found that “companies do not perform any better—or any worse—when they have women on their boards.” This is “the research diversity experts don’t want you to read.”
Tags: Anxious, Boards, Controversy, Diversity, Experts, Hand-wringing, Performance, Research, Stakeholders, Wharton, Women
